Avatar: The Journey of Lan
by Firelord Lionheart
Summary: The evil Allied Empire of Nations has taken over the world and prohibited bending except in the military. With Korra dead, all hope rests on the new Avatar Lan. With the burden of saving the world on her shoulders, destiny will take its course as Lan and her friends embark on a journey of survival, friendship, love, and self-discovery. Rating for Language and violence.
1. Prologue: Hope Rekindled

A/N: I had this idea since 2009, but I obviously had to abandon it because of Korra. Ergo, instead of a Waterbender named Kasumi, our Avatar is an Earthbender named Lan. The Yi family's names are taken from another fanfic, which is on hold for now. As always, show no mercy and nitpick the hell out of it.

Disclaimer: Both Avatar and Korra belong to Nickelodeon and Viacom.

Prologue: Hope Rekindled

_Fire_

An elderly man shooting a jet of flame from his fist.

_Air_

A boy of twelve creating a gust of wind with a wave of his arms.

_Water_

Streams of water swirling around a young woman.

_ Earth_

A teenage girl stomping her foot on the ground and sending a boulder flying in the air.

_My grandfather Bolin often used to tell of days long past; when the nations of the world lived together in peace thanks to the great Avatar Korra and her friends. Weeks after arriving in Republic City, she, Grandpa Bolin, Uncle Mako, and Asami Sato defeated Amon's Equalist Revolution. About a year later, on the day of Harmonic Convergence, Unalaq merged with_ _Vaatu, the Spirit of Darkness to become the Dark Avatar. These events were a catalyst for the reintroduction of spirits into the mortal plane. Due to Harmonic Convergence, my people, the Airbenders had returned in huge numbers including the anarchist, Zaheer of the Order of the Red Lotus. Although Zaheer and his followers were defeated, Avatar Korra was horribly wounded and fell into depression, allowing Kuvira to take over much of what was at the time, the Earth Kingdom. In time, Korra had snapped out of her depression and once again, Team Avatar rose into action. The Bei-Fong family and Tenzin's family had assisted them in finally defeating Kuvira and her hordes._

_Once everything had settled down, Korra had hoped to spend the rest of her life in peace with her lover, Asami Sato. The world was at relative peace for a while. During that era of peace, my grandfather married my grandmother, Opal. Earth King Wu abdicated his throne and decided to divide the Earth Kingdom states, but the land ended up becoming two separate republics after much debate. The two most popular political camps were democratic republicanism in the west and an ancient philosophy known as communism in the east. What began as a political disagreement over territory soon escalated into a war ending in a stalemate._ _After all the bloodshed and suffering the Earth Republic and the Earth People's Republic had to endure, the two countries -with Korra's urging- willingly reorganized into a federation of twelve semi-independent states and renamed this land the Earth Federation. The world was at peace once again. _

_Then, unknown to the world, an ancient evil not seen for thousands of years arose once again many years later. Harmonic Convergence had reawakened much that was lost, and this evil was Shadowbending, a dark perversion of Spiritbending originating from Water and Airbending techniques. In the United Republic, internal corruption had led to the rise of separatists. In the National Assembly, the ambitious Senator Donghai worked for more proactive measures to quell the revolution. Eventually, after pulling all the right strings, he was elected as President._

_The world's nations crumbled as the Separatist Revolt grew and, as a result, the nations were forced to pledge their loyalty to Donghai. What was once the Four Nations became satellite states of the Republic, eventually leading to the end of the Separatist movement. Little did the world know, this entire conflict was a front for Donghai to bring the entire world under his control. In what was to be the final battle between the Alliance and the Separatists led by the Shadowbender, Lord Shang, the conspiracy was unmasked. President Donghai, revealed to be the Shadowbending master, ordered his armies to purge the lands of the vast majority of benders above childhood age. As the massacre was being carried out, Donghai declared himself the Emperor and the free lands of the world fell under the rule of the Allied Empire of Nations._

_Korra, one of the last surviving member of Team Avatar, confronted the Emperor while her friend, Fire Nation General Kenji Tomohiko faced Lord Shang in Wulong Forest. The duels were fierce, but both the Avatar and the General were overpowered by their foes. General Tomohiko was killed and Korra was forced to retreat after being critically wounded. With the spirits' protector in the mortal world defeated, many of them returned to the Spirit World and closed the portals, ensuring the Shadowbenders could not use their powers for their ambitions. The old, broken Avatar returned to the Southern Water Tribe in shame where she succumbed to her grief and died ten years later._

_Avatar Korra left behind a world where bending is forbidden to everyone except those in the Imperial Forces. All children born into our era of darkness are examined by the Empire: those born as benders are seized to be raised as soldiers; whereas nonbending children are conscripted at adulthood. Parents refusing to surrender their bender children are executed along with their babies. It is a desolate world, but there are those of us who resist. Scattered across the globe is the Restoration, a network of revolutionaries wishing to restore our world to its former glory – I myself am among them._

_Thus far, we are merely insects compared to the Imperial Forces, but a glimmer of hope keeps us fighting. Many believe that the Bender Genocide had ensured that the Avatar would not be reborn, but our hope would never die. We, the Restoration, will always hold true to the belief that the Avatar is out there and would return to restore balance to the world._

* * *

><p>The freezing winds were biting as the snow flew around them and the powerful winds echoed in a mournful cry. A group of three men, each clad in a fur-lined jacket, stood at the edge of a cliff overlooking a small coastal village. Lucky for them, their five-year search was about to come to an end. Hope would be found just over the cliff.<p>

The shortest one of the group, an Airbender, urged his ostrich horse forward, and even though the animal's thick fur and feathers provided a natural defense against the elements, one could easily see that it was uncomfortable in the storm. "Are you sure about this place?" the Airbender asked. "I'm frankly not in the mood to get into any Imperial entanglements down there if it can be avoided."

The rider in the front, an Earthbender, gave him a reproachful scowl. "This is definitely the place," he assured them. "I can feel it. Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

"Yes!" his two companions shot back in unison.

The Earthbender shook his head in exasperation. "All right, fine, that Zhongjing* thing was a bit of a fiasco!"

"That's putting it mildly," the third rider, a Firebender, grumbled. "There was also Gaipan, where you almost got us all in front of a firing squad." The Earthbender had to grudgingly acknowledge that failure.

"And then there was the time when you led us into that nest of buzzard wasps," the Airbender amended with a dry laugh. "You know you're allergic to their stings." Now that was hitting below the belt.

"And then there was that incident in-"

"OKAY!" barked the lead rider making his ostrich horse snort in annoyance. "Fine, I've made some mistakes… shut up!" he snapped when his companions snickered. "But I am sure of it this time. If not… you may hold it against me."

Without another word, the three companions rode along the path down the cliff leading to the village below. The blizzard would normally be a deterrent to any traveler but not him. On the contrary, it gave him more of a drive to press on and nothing, not even an entire division of the Empire's elite Special Forces, would get in his or his companions' way.

* * *

><p>A rapping on the door could only mean one thing to Zheng Yi at this time of night; he or his wife had somehow offended the Empire. Nodding curtly at his wife, Ling to leave the hallway, he turned on the entryway light and opened the door. To his surprise, these were not military police, but three men in identical brown jackets. He surveyed them in bewilderment as to why three regular men - well into their middle ages - were out at all in this weather, let alone at his house.<p>

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" Zheng asked them.

"Mr. Yi," the man in the center said, taking Zheng aback. How did he know his name? Could these men have been secret police agents? What would they want with a poor fisherman like him? "We've come on very important business, but it's too dangerous to talk about it here. May we come in?" Blinking in confusion, Zheng moved aside to let the men inside and as custom dictated, they removed their boots.

Zheng's home was decent enough for his income. He motioned for them to the comfortable living room where flames crackled merrily in the fireplace. Ling, who had been in there reading a book on a tablet computer, looked up with an expression to match her husband. "Uh, hello. May I take your coats?" The apparent leader of these men waved her down politely when Zheng could not hold back anymore.

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" He strode into the living room and sat beside his wife. "Please, have a seat." He nodded at the sofa across from theirs and the three visitors sat down.

"We are members of the Order of the White Lotus," said the man on the right. Judging by the arrow tattooed on his forehead, this was an Airbending master. Zheng and Ling exchanged glances, a feeling of dread coursing through them. "We have been traveling across the land searching far and wide for five years now, and our friend led us here."

"And what are you searching for?" Ling demanded cautiously even though Zheng had no doubt that she knew their reason for being there. The man in the center leaned forward looking them directly in the eye.

"May we see your daughter?"

Their worst fears had been confirmed, Zheng thought, feeling as though his insides had turned to ice. "W – We don't have a daughter," he stammered. "We never had any children." It was no use. The visitors knew he was lying.

The man in the middle stood up, lowering his hood and unzipping his jacket to reveal a blue robe with the White Lotus symbol placed in the center. "My name is Liu Bei-Fong," he announced with pride in his green eyes. "I am humbly asking to meet your child." The couple gaped at them at loss for words. Taking his wife's hand in his, Zheng nodded and Ling stood up to leave the room.

"Are you… here for what I-" Zheng stopped short. He could not bring himself to say the words. His own little girl could not be…

"We'll find out soon, sir," said Liu grimly as footsteps approached the living room. Ling had returned with a little girl in her arms, whose head lay sleepily against her mother's shoulder. She was a tiny little thing with long, slightly messy black hair and bright brown eyes that matched Ling's. Zheng's daughter gazed at the strange men with the same confusion as her parents.

Ling set the girl on her feet and she stood leaning back against her. Liu stood up towering over the child, smiling warmly. "Good evening, sweetie," he said quietly and kneeled in front of her. "My name is Liu Bei-Fong, what's yours?"

Much to Zheng's surprise, his daughter returned the smile, broke from Ling's embrace, and stepped closer to the man as though she had met him many times before. "My name's Lan Ming Yi, Mr. Bei-Fong," she said.

Liu gave a light chuckle. "Pretty name for a pretty little girl." Lan smiled and bowed her head in gratitude. "Okay, Lan, do you know what the symbol on my robe means?"

Lan's brow furrowed as Zheng walked over to his wife to wrap an arm around her. "The White Lotus, but… why are you here?" Zheng's heart sank as he absentminded held Ling tighter. They had never told Lan about the White Lotus. They never so much as allowed her to go out into the public. As if reading their minds, Liu spoke again.

"Do you know why your mommy and daddy never allowed you to leave the house?" he asked, placing his huge hand on her shoulder. Lan bent her head sadly, her hair hiding her face.

"They don't want the Empire to take me away, Mr. Bei-Fong," she mumbled. "I'm an Earthbender, but I don't want to be a soldier! I don't want to go away and kill people!" She broke down crying, her shoulders shuddering with each sob. With a commiserating sigh, Liu took her in his arms and stroked her hair. "I hate the Empire!" she cried into his chest while Zheng and Ling could only watch them helplessly.

"Shh... I know," Liu whispered as he held on to Lan. "We all hate it, and that is why we want to talk to you." Lan pulled away from him, wiping her eyes from the remnants of her tears. "Please, come sit by the fire where it's nice and warm. The child wordlessly obeyed, taking Liu by the hand and leading him to the fireplace. Once they were both seated, his two companions joined them.

"These are my friends, Lee Xin," Liu gestured at the man of Fire Nation descent. "And Ramachandra Patel." The Airbender removed his hood to fully reveal his arrow tattoo, removed his traveling bag, and placed in front of Lan.

What are you doing?" said Ling, finally able to speak as the Airbender unzipped the bag.

"A simple test," Ramachandra replied. "No worries, Mrs. Yi." How could he tell them not to worry? If Zheng were correct, they were about to place an extremely heavy burden on his daughter. Ramachandra reached into the bag and pulled out three items: a shiny black stone, a plastic flying disc, and a plastic bottle of water. Lan looked up at him in curiosity. "Now, Lan," said Ramachandra. "What we're going to do is give you a few simple tests."

She silently stared at Liu who obligingly explained, "First, Lan, I want you to close your eyes and focus on the stone." She shifted her gaze to the beautiful shiny stone and closed her eyes tightly. "Very good, sweetie," Liu praised. "Now I want you to concentrate hard and imagine the stone in your mind. Make sure it's a strong imagination." He waited for a moment. "Are you seeing the stone in your imagination?"

"Yes!" Lan squealed in excitement.

Liu laughed and ruffled her hair. "Very good," he praised. Under normal circumstances, Zheng and his wife would've been very uncomfortable with a stranger touching Lan, but somehow, they felt that they could trust these men. Lan somehow seemed as though she felt a connection to the giant Earthbender, and both her parents could feel that this was not simple childhood naivete, but genuine trust. "Now I want you to put your arms out in front of you and make claws with your fingers like a tigerdillo." She followed Liu's instructions; even making a roar that under other circumstances would make her parents laugh. "Now I want you to concentrate very hard," said Liu seriously. "And imagine the stone circling slowly above your head three times. Then imagine it falling gently to the floor."

Scrunching her little face in concentration, Lan stretched out her arms, curling her fingers like claws and raising them above her head. The stone floated above her like a feather, circling three times before it dropped onto her lap. Her eyes shot open and the adults in the room applauded.

"Very good, Lan!" Ling praised, kissing her cheek. "Your first time Earthbending!"

However, Lan looked uncertain. "But the stone fell."

"It's okay," Liu assured her, patting her back. "You'll get better." Once the applause died down, he spoke again. "Now, please turn to the fireplace and close your eyes again." The room fell silent once again. "I now want you to take some deep breaths. In through your nose," he and Lan inhaled. "And out through your mouth." They both exhaled. "Now, when you breathe, I want you to slowly and gently flap your arms like wings. In... out... in... out..."

The world around Zheng seemed to disappear as he could only watch his daughter slowly breathing and flapping her arms. The flames in the fireplace slowly began to rise, then suddenly, the flames shot up the chimney sending a wave of heat sweeping across the living room. Though she had her back to Zheng, he knew Lan's eyes were fixed on the fireplace.

"Did…" Lan said in a barely audible tone. "Did I… Firebend?" She looked up at Liu who was now looking at her seriously as he stroked his goatee.

"We must continue," he told her firmly. "Please go to the other side of the room." With trepidation, Lan ran across the living room in front of her parents who both placed their hands on her shoulders. Liu bent down and grabbed the disc. "I'm going to throw this to you, Lan. I want you to send it back here without touching it! Ready?" She nodded, lifting her left hand in a chopping motion. "One, two, three… GO!" He hurled the disc towards the nervous Lan who chopped at the air, sending the disc flying back at the man who deftly caught it.

Nobody applauded this time, only standing there focused on the little girl. Lan slowly made her way back to Liu who grinned approvingly. As if she knew what was next, she sat back on the floor as Lee kneeled in front of her, opening the water bottle. He tipped the bottle over, spilling some water onto the floor.

"The last thing I want you to do, Lan," said Liu, "is close your eyes again, put your hands over the water, and pretend you are swimming." This time, she did not even spare him a nod. She only shut her eyes and mimed swimming to the best of her abilities, sending drops of water flying into the furniture. Zheng could not even bear to meet his daughter's eyes as she stood up, looking around at each adult in the room.

The members of the White Lotus rose to their feet, standing in front of Lan. "It is an honor to serve you," said Liu as he and his two friends bowed to her, "Avatar Lan." It was only hearing those words that finally caused something to snap in Zheng and Ling.

"Now just a minute, pal!" barked Zheng. "Lan is only five! She's a _child_!"

"You will not use her to fight in your war!" added Ling, striding over to Lan and pulling her to her side protectively. The visitors gave them sympathetic glances that made Zheng want to kill them. "Our daughter is a little girl, not cannon fodder for your fruitless rebellion!"

The legendary Bei-Fong temper that Liu had been holding back was finally lost. "Fruitless rebellion?" he repeated. "Cannon fodder? Is that what you really think?" Ling opened her mouth to retort, but Liu cut across her. "Do you understand that the entire world has been waiting, no, _praying_ for the Avatar's return? Your daughter's our only hope!"

"So, you're just going to take her away, regardless of our approval?" Ling shot back furiously.

"Stop it," Lan said quietly.

"What's the alternative, Mrs. Yi?" Liu retorted, throwing out his arms in fury. "You plan on keeping her prisoner here for the rest of her life like it's still the Hundred-Year War, and you must shamefully hide your child that society doesn't approve of?"

"How dare you insinuate-" Zheng snapped but was cut off by an angry voice.

"Stop talking like I'm not here!" All eyes turned to Lan, glaring daggers at them. Quite vicious indeed for a five-year-old, Zheng thought despite himself. "Mommy, Daddy," she said firmly to her parents. "I know you're doing this 'cause you love me, but…" Tears began to silently fall down her face as she continued to speak. "But I gotta to go with them. The Emperor can't keep taking children away and grow them up to kill people he hates. He can't keep doing whatever he wants because it is just… it's wrong! If I'm the Avatar, I have to stop bad people like him."

Both Zheng and Ling dropped to their knees, hugging on to Lan tighter than ever. How could they have been so selfish? No, how could the world have been so cruel as to bestow this terrible fate on an innocent child? Like it or not, they had to let her go. They both knew their daughter was special and sooner than they could have hoped, they found out why. How many more families would have to be broken before Donghai would be satisfied? How many more people would have to die?

"We're going with her," Ling insisted but knew from the strangers' faces that this was not possible.

"We can't risk it," said Lee. "The Empire knows you're here and if you disappeared from your work, they'll suspect rebellion. Who knows what they'll do to the village if you leave? But, we can arrange for you to see her sometimes."

"In that case," Zheng whispered in defeat. "Let us just have a moment with our little girl." Liu nodded as Lan followed her parents out of the living room, breaking down in tears once again. Another family broken by the Empire, the White Lotus members bitterly thought.

* * *

><p>Lan had always loved the snow. It was almost magical the way the snowflakes would fly around and then cover the world in a pure white sheet. She rode dressed in a heavy white winter jacket with Mr. Bei-Fong on his ostrich horse, watching the whitened landscape in a fascination one could only find in a child. It was only after she left home that she realized that this was the grandson of Bolin and Opal and… by the Spirits! He was the great-<em>great<em>-grandson of her favorite Earthbender in the world, Toph Bei-Fong! As soon as Mommy and Daddy told her that she was an Earthbender, she wanted be like the powerful hero from her bedtime stories. Little Lan swore to herself at that moment that she would be like Toph one day, and make the wicked Emperor pay for everything he did, even if she had to _kill_ him!

"Where are we going?" she asked Mr. Bei-Fong lowering her hood to let the refreshing cold wind fly through her hair.

"We're going to place where benders like you and me can live and practice our bending safely," said Mr. Bei-Fong, wrapping an arm tightly around her torso as she opened her mouth to catch snowflakes on her tongue. "It's time for you to take the first step in becoming the Avatar. I'm going to teach you Earthbending."

Lan sprang around, her face lighting up excitedly. "You are?" A _Bei-Fong _was going to be her Earthbending teacher? She _would_ be a great Earthbender like Toph; she could hardly believe it!

"Absolutely," he confirmed and tightened his grip on her. "Then you will learn fire, then air, and then water."

"And then will I have to fight the Emperor?" Lan asked as she stroked the side of the ostrich horse's neck.

"War is not fun and games, little one," Ramachandra said with a grimace and Lan gave him an offended glare as he continued to speak. "It's a very terrible thing and has to be taken seriously. I hope the Emperor falls before you have to experience war."

"I know it's not fun and games!" she yelled. "I _am_ taking it seriously! I just want to make everything back to good again, Mr. Patel, I'm the Avatar..." Lan's voice trailed sadly as she turned to face forward, continuing to stroke the ostrich horse's neck.

"Hey," Liu replied, once again stroking her hair. "I'm going to train you hard like my Great Grandma Su trained me, but I still want you to be a kid. There are other children there and you will have the chance to make friends and play."

"Okay," said Lan, not sure what to think.

"But make no mistake, honey," Liu laughed. "I'm a very, very, very, very, _very_ hard master. Even though I want you to play and have fun, I still expect you to practice hard, focus on your Earthbending, and listen to everything I tell you because as my friend here said, war has to be taken very seriously. We want our Avatar to be strong and ready. Now, my young pupil, your first assignment is to call me 'Master Liu' from now on and your second is to get some sleep. We've got a long way to go, so I want you to be strong for tomorrow."

Yes, Lan was rather sleepy now that she thought about it. "Okay, Master Liu," she murmured and settled her head in his chest, falling asleep almost instantly. The hours passed on, darkness giving way to light seeping through the cracks in the clouds as the four travelers pressed on.

* Republic City's new name. Chinese for Central Capital.

A/N: Yes, I did make a Pokemon reference even if I don't like the franchise at all. Yup, a big, tough Bei-Fong has a soft spot for little kids, but we'll see how that changes when she's a teenager. As for the technology, I was originally gonna go cyberpunk but I decided to have it like we do in our world nowadays. Before anyone asks, yes, Liu's tests were based on the ones in the-movie-that-shall-not-be-named. It wasn't all shit, just 99.9% of it was shit. Lastly, no this will not be Star Wars: The Avatar Edition.


	2. Vale of the Fallen Star

_**降世神通**_

_**Avatar: The Journey of Lan**_

**Book One: Revolution ****革命**

Chapter One – Vale of the Fallen Star

The Vale of the Fallen Star, named so thousands of years ago because of a massive asteroid crashing there, was a breathtaking location in the southern regions of the former Earth Federation. The name was obviously a misnomer as science was unknown to those of ancient civilizations. However, to rename it now would have been as unforgivable as renaming Omashu or Ba Sing Se. Not even Emperor Donghai himself would dare to try that.

The land was fertile with rolling green hills and a vast crater lake fed by a thundering waterfall. The lake led to a river that flowed into the cliffs. Steep granite cliffs surrounded the valley on all sides, shielding it from the view of anyone who did not make a point to look for it. This was a natural self-sustaining fortress and what better place could one think of for children in hiding to grow up? This was where Lan had lived since the tender age of five.

Almost eleven years had passed since that fateful day when Lan had to leave home with Master Liu. No longer was she the vulnerable but curious little girl that the White Lotus had rescued from a life of confinement because of a government that would have killed her and her family without any hesitation. No, now she had grown into a young woman just two days away from coming of age –sixteen years – and had become an expert Earthbender under the relentless tutelage of her master.

"Let's try this one more time!" Lan raised her head slowly in frustration at Master Liu, pushing a loose strand of her long hair away from her sweaty face. While she loved the old man like a father – possibly even more than her real father – she could not deny that he could be a monumental pain in the ass true to the Bei-Fong name when it came to training.

"Can't we take a break, Master?" Lan protested as she massaged her aching shoulders. After perfecting regular Earthbending and Sandbending, Master Liu had her move on to Metalbending. While she did manage to bend metal by hand, doing so without touching it was much more difficult. Looking wearily at the busted, ancient car in front of her, she added, "I'm getting hungry."

Lan's innocent smile had no effect on Master Liu who stood there scowling. "You had a very hearty breakfast," he said sternly. "Now quit complaining and assume your stance, Lan!" She groaned in response and shifted her body into a horse stance, applying pressure to her feet to better feel the earth. "You shouldn't have any problems with this, it's made of raw steel."

Gritting her teeth, Lan cupped her hands and stomped on the grass. Okay, Lan, she thought, you can do this. Determined to only focus on the minerals in the car, she bent down. As if lifting a heavy weight – an action that would have been hundreds of times easier – she straightened her body and was surprised to see the car beginning to hover above the ground. "I'm doing it!" she exclaimed, the car rising several meters above them. "Master, I'm doing it, I can't believe it!"

"Not bad, kiddo," said Master Liu with an approving nod. "Now let's see how you can handle _this!_" Before Lan knew what was happening, her master executed a jab, sending a clump of soil flying at her, making her instinctively jump to the side and the car began to drop. "Don't let it fall!" Master Liu instructed sharply. Lan was barely able to keep the heavy vehicle in the air. She gasped as a rock was hurled at her. However, she managed to keep the car stable in the air, leaping out of the way. Much to Lan's ire, Master Liu let out a harsh, mocking laugh.

"What did I do wrong?" she said in a voice she hoped was not disrespectful.

"Oh, nothing at all," Master Liu replied shaking his head. "I was just under the impression you're learning Earthbending, not Airbending." He scowled at her. "What's this avoiding and evading?" Lan had to admit that he was right. Since she began her training, Master Liu had always emphasized that the most important rule of Earthbending was that the bender did not adapt to the earth, but the earth adapted to the bender.

"Let's try that again!" On cue, he raised both his arms and a crack from the cliffs echoed in the valley as a granite boulder twice his size had torn from the side of the cliff. With a furious roar, Master Liu launched his fists towards Lan and the boulder flew swiftly at her. Lan kept her left hand raised and holding up the car, getting an idea. With her right, she slammed her fist into the boulder sending razor sharp shards of rock and a cloud of dust flying around them both.

Silence took over the field for a few brief seconds before Lan heard a slow, dramatic clap. "Outstanding," Master Liu exclaimed, his grinning face visible through the clearing dust. "A bit off at first, but you got your shit together eventually." Lan tried to smile in return but could only manage a pained grimace as her aching arm began trembling. "Oh, you can drop that now," added Master Liu as an afterthought. With a relieved sigh, Lan dropped her arms and the car plunged to the ground wish a resounding crash.

The smile immediately vanished from Master Liu's face as he approached Lan who began to feel apprehensive seeing her master shifting his gaze from the old car to her. "That's a first edition Satomobile!" he said exasperatedly. "That's right, just drop the damn antique car on the ground like a piece of scrap metal!"

Lan's jaw dropped in outrage when she surveyed the wreckage. "Antique?" she repeated, glaring at Master Liu. "That 'collector's item' of yours was rusting away out here anyway! It's already scrap metal; if you really thought it was so valuable, you'd keep it inside and preserve it!"

"Oh, a smartass, aren't we?" he retorted and ran a hand through his graying hair. "We'll see about that, young lady." Lan had a pretty good idea of what was coming next and braced herself. "You're going to run me five miles on an earth wave starting _now_! Move it!"

Grunting in exasperation, she stomped on the ground to cause a light quaking beneath her. Suddenly, the ground began forming a hill that rose several feet above her Master who watched her unimpressed. With that, Lan began running in place atop the hill, letting the earth carry her along the field.

It was as if all the frustrations of Lan's Metalbending training had melted away. Now she truly felt at home with basic, genuine Earthbending. She did not know how long she had been riding her wave, but she eventually came to a more wooded area of the valley with tall trees and bamboo stalks shading her from the blazing sun.

It was then that Lan began to feel a strange presence in the atmosphere as though she was not alone. Granted, there were always animals running or flying around the valley, but that would not bother her. No, this was definitely a human presence. Stopping in her tracks, the earth beneath Lan flattened as she stomped ground to send a seismic wave around her. Nothing… that was weird, her feelings were usually right.

Shrugging, Lan made to start running again when her attention was drawn to a swish – perhaps a blade being unsheathed from somewhere above her. "Show yourself!" Lan shouted, launching a rock into one of the trees. Almost immediately, a figure in black flipped from the branches, landing gracefully on one knee in front of her with a katana in hand.

Her hooded attacker rose to his feet, the hilt of his weapon clutched tightly in his hands. Lan had only a brief moment to take in his appearance. He was clad almost entirely in black, save for his red t-shirt bearing the Blue and Red Dragons of the Fire Nation. Most peculiar was that he kept his lean, muscular right arm out of his jacket sleeve.

With a furious roar, the man raised his sword as he charged at Lan. Immediately, she clawed her fingers, the ground on either side merging to form two boulders, which she sent at the man. Lan did not expect these blows to land and her attacker easily dodged them as he advanced towards her. Panting, Lan thrust out her palm, the earth sending out a stalagmite that just barely avoided impaling the Samurai.

Though his face was hidden, Lan could sense the smirk on his face as he sliced through her earth column. Panting, she dashed off the path to a denser part of the woods as the Samurai sliced through the bamboo. Lan glared at the man, hissing, "Dodge this one!" Taking advantage of the situation, Lan stomped her foot on the sloping ground, a fissure advancing towards her enemy who swung out of the way.

"Too easy," he countered in his low, slightly raspy voice and gave a dry laugh. He stepped aside in an almost bored manner as Lan tried striking him from behind with a rock. "How predictable…" he shook his head sympathetically. "But now it's time to get serious."

Without waiting for a response, he charged at Lan who could only think of one thing to do. She crossed her arms in front of her and the ground immediately softened as she sunk into the earth's crust, leaving the Samurai both impressed and confused. Before he could make head or tails of what was happening, Lan burst out of the ground sending a cloud of dust into the air surrounding them both.

He could not see; Lan now had the upper hand. She immediately began executing a series of Earthbending forms sending rocks and earth flying relentlessly at her foe, who barely managed to parry them with his blade. Lan continued her assault as the roar of the waterfall began growing louder, which meant they were approaching the lake.

The two fighters were finally out of the woods and on the lakeshore where the sun reflected on the waters. However, all Lan could focus on was the Samurai who was regaining his earlier momentum. He twisted and ducked out of the way of every rock and manipulation of the ground around her. It was time for some drastic measures.

Lan closed her eyes for a brief moment and drew in a breath before executing a deft jab to fire a large flaming orb at the Samurai and another one to follow afterwards. Though she was by no means a good Firebender, she did have some practice in the other elements. The only one that Lan was unable to bend was water.

"A little off, aren't we, Avatar?" the Samurai commented, finally reaching her. Before Lan could even react, she found herself swept off her feet and landing roughly on the ground. The man stood over her, raising his sword above his head and swiftly sliced downwards towards her neck. Lan, with her eyes tightly closed, clenched her fist and heard a surprised exclamation of, "Shit!" She shuddered as she felt the blade fall harmlessly onto her chest.

Lan shifted her gaze to see the man buried up to his neck into the ground, the hood of his jacket fallen off his head from the impact. His hair was short and styled into a mess of spikes and had a lean, chiseled face with stubble and golden eyes. While Lan lay there catching her breath, the Samurai just laughed harshly. That was enough for her.

Pushing herself to her feet, she strode over to the man furiously. "What the fuck, Akira?" Lan exclaimed in outrage. She hated when her friend messed with her like that.

Much to her ire, Akira laughed again. "The fuck is called an ambush; it's training. Now, could you get me out of here?" Snarling in frustration, Lan launched him out of the ground and face first into the cool lake. When Akira resurfaced, he grinned evilly and swam back to shore, shaking the water out of his hair like a dog.

"Nice work," said Akira, patting a still angry Lan on her back.

"You could've told me you wanted to train with me today," said Lan rolling her eyes and plopped down by the lake where he soon joined her. Her statement was only made out of frustration. Akira Tomohiko always did have his own way when it came to combat training.

Lan had been his friend since she arrived at the Vale of the Fallen Star almost eleven years ago. Although he was a Nonbender, his family was known enemies of the Empire ever since his uncle had been killed by Lord Shang ten years before Avatar Korra passed away. Yes, as Lan had anticipated even as a little girl, Ramachandra Patel's hopes that the Empire would fall were in vain; it was as powerful as ever. However, Akira was always so strong and sure, thus he took Lan under his wing.

With a heavy sigh, Lan slumped backward to lay on the grass, her raven hair spilling behind her. She closed her eyes and let the sun warm her face as she sensed Akira following suit. "You're a dick, Akira," she whispered, unable to conceal a smirk.

"Well," he countered, sheathing his sword and frowned. "Suppose this wasn't our pleasant little valley, but a warzone. You're on patrol in the mountains or in a city and you sense the enemy." Lan could only listen as Akira was also preparing for the inevitable time when they would go off to war. "Only instead of one man with a sword," he continued, "it's a dozen men armed with machine guns, assault rifles, and grenade launchers. They start firing on you, taking you by surprise. Will you complain to them that they never told you their positions? No, you'll just be dead because you didn't act fast enough when you could've turned those weapons to scrap with your Metalbending." He shifted his gaze to her. "Not even Toph herself would've been able to stop ammo from automatic weapons."

"I hate when you're right," said Lan in resignation, rubbing her feet along the soft grass.

"Which is always?" Akira deadpanned.

"Oh, shut up." She tapped the ground with palm, causing a slight quake beneath Akira. Now _this _was Earthbending, she thought to herself again. Perhaps it was due to being cooped up in a house for the first five and a half years of her life, but Lan had always enjoyed being outdoors barefoot and able to connect with the earth. She even enjoyed sleeping under the stars in clear weather. Many times as a kid, Master Liu had to put his foot down insist that she not sleep outside because it could potentially get cool at night during the winter months. It was much warmer there than in her home village, but it was hardly a Fire Nation island.

"You nervous about tomorrow?" inquired Akira breaking the silence.

Lan grimaced as she answered, "A little… very, actually." Master Liu was going to give her a final test in Earthbending tomorrow at daybreak. They were going to traverse into a massive cavern without any safety equipment or sources of light. She would have to rely entirely on her Earthbending to reach her goal. Aside from being a location of natural wonder and beauty providing a natural fortress of a refuge, the valley was home to a cave where an Earthbending spirit resided. The only Avatars required to face his judgment (according to tradition), were natural born Earthbenders. Since Lan was the first Earthbending Avatar since Kyoshi, she could not disobey the precepts.

"You'll do fine," said Akira. "We all believe in you."

Lan smiled in gratitude. "I do wonder how my predecessors felt when they started out like this… not counting Wan."

"Well," Akira mused, "I'm sure you've been studying them more than me, but from what I gather, Kuruk was a bit full of himself, so he was probably very confident in his abilities even if his heart was in the right place."

"Talk about a sad story," Lan agreed. He may have been lazy and inattentive, but he was not a bad man; his wife did not deserve that terrible fate. "While Kyoshi was a great Avatar," Lan decided on changing the subject, "she obsessed over her duties." Akira looked at her confused. "I think it overwhelmed her and that was why she made some of her more… controversial decisions like the creation of the Dai Li.

"Roku was a noble guy. He gave everybody a fair chance; he saw people as inherently good." It was then that Lan realized something. "Wow, I'll be the first Avatar since Roku to take the journey and learn the elements properly!" At least she wasn't on a deadline, though she wanted to take down the Empire sooner rather than later.

"Yeah…" said Akira slowly. "The universe wasn't exactly on Aang's side. I can't think of anybody who can think back to history lessons and say they don't like Aang."

"Aang was a great Avatar and a great man," said Lan. "But what do you mean? The universe seemed to work to Aang's advantage!"

Akira looked at her incredulously and began a finger count. "He was only twelve when Sozin was preparing to launch his takeover campaign and the pressures of being the Avatar were so great that he ran away and got trapped in an iceberg for a century. And before you tell me that you were five when you found out, both you and Korra had the advantage of learning about Aang." Lan closed her mouth and continued to listen.

"When Katara and Sokka found him, he finds out that not only had Sozin started the war the monks told him about, but it's been going on for a hundred years. After that, he learns that all his people were wiped out. _Then_ he learns that he has until the end of the summer to defeat Ozai. Along the way, he nearly gets killed, Azula finds out about the eclipse plan-"

"But he always managed to find ways around all his obstacles," Lan cut in as she stretched out her legs to dip her toes into the cool water. "Got captured by Zhao? Blue Spirit 'saves' him. Bumi can't teach him Earthbending? Well, the universe literally gives him a vision of the one who could. Azula fatally wounds him and, just on the brink of death, Katara saves him with the Spirit Water she happened to save for months. The Day of Black Sun goes FUBAR; the entire fate of the war now rests solely on a bunch of kids. And who appears to help them? Zuko; the one they thought to be their enemy. Aang's feeling conflicted about killing Ozai? Well, when all hope seems lost, he just happens to sleepwalk and swim onto a lion turtle that just happens to have the solution."

Akira blinked slowly and laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Things did go his way unlike Korra."

At this, Lan shook her head irritably. "You know, I think history's really unfair to Korra! Think about it; she spent her entire childhood getting it drilled into her head that she was the Avatar. That became her life. Being the Avatar was her _everything_." Lan breathed deeply to compose herself. "At least I was able to grow up here as normally as possible. Korra was always living in the shadow of her identity and was determined to live up to her predecessors, especially Aang who most of the middle aged adults of her time met if not knew personally."

"You're saying she was a mass of complexes?" Akira demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Lan assured him. "Well, maybe at first but either way, she lived up to her title and was true to her friends and family. She did not lack any more oversight with Donghai than Roku did with Sozin."

Akira turned his firm expression to her. "Well, at least with him, it's been twenty-six years, not a hundred. We'll take him and all his henchmen down if they refuse to surrender."

"If we happen to encounter Lord Shang…" Lan's voice trailed. That had been a subject Akira had only brought up once when they were kids and they never spoke of it again until now.

"My answer now is the same as it was when I was twelve," Akira replied, his voice distant. "If I ever meet him, before I take him out, I will tell him that this is for my Uncle Kenji…" His voice trailed and he turned to the water. "You speak to Korra since that one time?"

"No," said Lan sadly. "I could use her advice now though."

* * *

><p><em>The Vale of the Fallen Star was the most beautiful place Lan had ever seen. It had been a week since Master Liu brought her here and she was still awed by its endless wonders. Lan loved the rolling fields, the high cliffs, the waterfall cascading into the big lake… she wanted to stay there forever. Maybe when she grew up and beat the Emperor, she would get married to a nice man, have kids, and build a nice house right on the island in the lake. <em>

_The nighttime was just as beautiful as the daytime. Even though it was winter, it was still warm here. After begging Master Liu if she could sleep outside, he laughed and said it was okay as long as he was with her. She absolutely loved Master Liu; he was so strong, so strict, so brave, but also kind and understanding. She loved her Earthbending lessons and learned right away that she should not see the rocks and ground as friends, but as bullies who think they can get their way with her. Like all bullies, they easily sensed weakness and fear. "Therefore, as Earthbenders," Master Liu told her in her first lesson, "we must teach these bullies a lesson in respect and show them who's really in charge here. They want to get tough with you, you'll show them who the _real_ tough guy... or girl in your case is!" She giggled at his serious joke. "They may be heavier, but with a strong enough will and connection to the earth, you could even lift Mount Chomolungma." Since then, Earthbending came quite naturally to her._

_Master Liu was asleep in his earth tent while Lan stayed in another tent with her new friend, Akira. He was a year older than her and was very quiet most of the time. Lan didn't like it when her other friends like Nanuk the Waterbender or Chen, another Earthbender would pester him to play sports when he obviously wanted to be alone. Lan soon learned that Akira liked to do other things for fun like read books, write calligraphy, play video games, and train for hours with his wooden sword. "No real sword until you've mastered the forms with the wooden one," his old master told him. Akira's sword master had a hard name to remember. _

_The starry sky was so clear that she just had to wake up Akira so they could go play by the lake. He was reluctant at first, not really wanting to play, but eventually conceded and followed her. Instead, he just sat by the water with his legs crossed and arms resting in his lap._

_"What are you doing?" Lan asked him._

_"Meditating," Akira explained. "You should try it, Master Goshiro says it helps you feel better spiritually." Lan did not quite understand, but she knew the Avatar had to be 'spiritual'. She sat down beside Akira and closed her eyes. "Now," he whispered, "relax your face… now your shoulders… your arms… and the rest of your body. Now breathe slowly and try to listen only to the sound of the waterfall." _

_Lan breathed slowly and steadily for a moment until she felt her mind drifting, the darkness fading away. She was no longer in the valley but on top of a pagoda standing on an island in the middle of an ocean. It wasn't night but sunset, the sun shining an orange and golden light on the world. She could stay up there forever and be happy. Both in her imaginary world and in the real world, she felt herself lying on her back, her hands resting behind her head._

_"Hello, Lan." Lan looked up startled as an ethereal white glow appeared above her. The voice was that of an old lady's and at that realization, her dream world instantly faded back to the valley. The little girl let out a gasp of horror at the sight of a ghostly, thin old woman floating above the water, smiling kindly at her. "Don't be afraid," the spirit said as Lan clung tightly to Akira's arm._

_"Who are you?" Lan whimpered._

_"My name's Korra," the spirit replied and then Lan surveyed her. Her clothes were blue and distinctly traditional Water Tribe garments. Her white hair was tied in a thick braid and her deep blue eyes seemed to be searching Lan's very soul. Lan could feel the powerful presence of the old Avatar's spirit, but it was also strangely comforting. __"You were the Avatar before her!" Akira exclaimed and quickly bowed. Lan bowed too suddenly realizing it would be respectful to bow to any spirit, especially past Avatars. "You knew my uncle, Avatar Korra!"_

_"Just 'Korra' will do," she replied and her smile faded. "And yes, Akira, I did know him. In life, he was a good friend and the best swordsman I ever saw. I guess it runs in the family." Akira blushed at Korra's compliment as she turned her attention back to Lan, who could see how sad she looked now. "Speaking of things that seem to pass down, it looks like the new Avatar is once again fated to fix the mistakes of the old."_

_"W – What do you mean?" Lan stammered. Avatars couldn't make big mistakes, Lan always thought that once an Avatar finishes training, he or she does almost everything right._

_"How much do you know about the Emperor?" Korra asked and Lan scrunched her face in disgust._

_"He's a monster!" Lan shouted, slamming her fist on the ground. "He takes kids who can bend away from their mommies and daddies and grows them up to kill people! I hate him!"_

_"If you can believe it," said Korra "he's a lot worse." Lan gasped in horror. What could he possibly be doing that was worse than that? Korra seemed to be reading her mind. "Emperor Donghai and his henchman, Lord Shang are Shadowbenders. This is not a natural bending art, but a dark perversion of Energybending and Spiritbending. I have no idea how it came about, but they can use it to drain spirits' powers… their very life force."_

_Lan felt her insides turning to ice as she clung to Akira who awkwardly rubbed her back. "Do you know what the Avatar is supposed to do, Lan?" She lifted her head from her friend's shoulder and once again met Korra's cerulean eyes. _

_"Bring peace to the world?" _

_"That's true," Korra affirmed, "but you're also supposed to be the bridge between the Spirit World and the Mortal World. The Avatar's supposed to protect the spirits as well as the humans…" She floated there silently for a moment as if pondering on what to tell her young successor. "I made a terrible mistake, Lan. You know the story of the last Harmonic Convergence, right?"_

_"When you fighted Una-Vaatu?" Akira piped up._

_"Fought," Korra corrected, "not fighted, and yes. Well, after everything was over, I decided to leave the spirit portals open so that the humans and spirits could live together in harmony. Everything seemed to just go downhill from there."_

_"But why's that a bad thing?" asked Lan confused. "I think it's a good thing if people and spirits are together." _

_"Because all the wrong people were not ready for it," said Korra. "Harmonic Convergence led to some good things, like the return of the Airbenders, but it also set a domino effect into motion." The two children did not understand what that meant, so Korra elaborated. "You know how when you set up a row of dominoes and knock one down, the next one keeps making the others fall. A domino effect is a chain of events that start with one thing that has consequences leading to another thing, and so on, and so forth._

_"Anyway, in the wake of Harmonic Convergence, Zaheer of the Red Lotus got Airbending powers and tried to overthrow all the world governments. From the mess he left in this land, Kuvira tried to take over as Empress and she nearly succeeded. She even managed to all but decimate Republic City. Well, one thing led to another until civil war started to spread throughout the world under the command of Shang._

_"Donghai was only a Senator in the United Republic at first. He seemed like a kind enough man… well, all politicians are snakes and you should never fully trust them, but I never suspected him to have fangs." It was no different from the little that Master Liu had told Lan about the Emperor; how he managed to trick so many people into trusting him. "He was a strong presence in a crumbling government. The citizens of the Republic elected him as President after he promised to bring the chaos under control. _

_"We all knew that there was another Shadowbender out there pulling Shang's strings and eventually, as every nation began to fall under Donghai's so-called protection, Shang ordered one last assault on the Republic. That was when Hiro Sato, the grandson of Asami and I, realized the truth about the President. He worked as an advisor on Donghai's staff-" _

_"Wait," Akira cut in, frowning slightly. "How did you and Asami have a grandson? You'd need to have a kid and you were both women." Lan had to agree but would never have thought to ask that question. Korra looked at him for a moment before smiling broadly. "What? For a woman to have a baby, a man has to… you know."_

_"We adopted a little boy, he grew up, got married and had Hiro," said Korra, and the children nodded in understanding. "My grandson confronted Donghai with some soldiers – including your Earthbending teacher, Liu Bei-Fong, and he was right. The President was a Shadowbender. They fought him and Donghai killed everybody except Hiro, Liu Bei-Fong, and one young United Republic officer named Lieutenant Nguyen. They rushed back to warn General Tomohiko and I, but before we could act, Donghai's purge of the benders was already underway…"_

_If it were possible for a spirit to cry, Lan was sure Korra would have. Her own eyes filled with tears and rested her head on Akira's shoulder as the old Avatar continued to speak. "They killed not only soldiers of the alliance but women, children, the elderly… in your home village, Lan, they forced children out of shelters, lined them up against the wall-"_

_"Stop!" Akira exclaimed, absentmindedly running his hand through Lan's hair._

_"I'm sorry," Korra whispered. "I'm sorry you have to go through this because of me."_

_"It's not because of you," Lan shouted back in a tone that was almost unnatural for a child her age. "It's because of that… that monster and I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill him!" Akira put his arm around her and she immediately relaxed. "Sorry," she whispered, tossing back her hair. "I always hated the Emperor but now I just…"_

_"I know," said Korra softly. "It's okay to feel this way, but the Emperor is a very powerful Shadowbender. I was just as angry as you are now after the purge so I went to fight him," she turned to Akira, "and your Uncle Kenji went to fight Shang. He was more powerful than anybody I've ever fought and he managed to cripple me for life. I escaped with my life, but Kenji… Shang killed him brutally. I went back to the Southern Water Tribe no longer able to fight these bastards. Donghai declared himself the Emperor and Shang became the top commander of the Imperial Armed Forces. I died ten years later._

_"It's all my fault," Korra muttered. "I should have done what I originally planned after defeating Unalaq and closed the spirit portals right away instead of more than a century later." Lan could not say anything, but she swore to herself to set things right._

_"However, you have an advantage, Lan," said Korra. "You have the advantage of time to travel the world and master all four elements as well as the Avatar State. Unlike Aang, you're not bound to any time limit and unlike me, the enemy doesn't know who you are yet."_

_"I'll practice hard, Korra," Lan promised. "I'm listening to everything Master Liu says, but will you help me too?"_

_"Of course, Lan," said Korra, raising her hand reassuringly. "All your past lives are there for you whenever you need our help. If you want to talk to me, Aang, Roku, Kyoshi, or even Wan, we'll be there."_

_"Thank you, Korra." Lan bowed respectfully._

* * *

><p>Lan and Akira simply lay there for a while longer until Akira broke the silence. "We'd better get going. I'm probably going to get an earful from Master Goshiro." He sprang to his feet and Lan followed suit.<p>

"Lucky you," she muttered. "Master Liu's probably going to have me Metalbending all night."


	3. The Cave

Disclaimer: The name "Kihan" belongs to Autumn (Summer Sweetheart on this site), who allowed me to borrow it. Her Kihan is one of Aang's kids from before LOK was announced. I just thought the name sounded badass.

Chapter Two – The Cave

"Lan," a soft voice spoke in the darkness. She responded with a wearing groan and turned on her stomach, resting her head on her palm. "Lan?" the voice was more insistent now. "Wake up, Lan!" This time, the source of the voice shook her shoulders. Lan only responded with a moan, and buried her face into the pillow. "Okay, I didn't want to have to do this."

With a rattle of bamboo, the blinds shot open, the sunbeams shining in Lan's face. "Okay, okay!" she shouted in annoyance. "I'm up!" She rubbed her eyes and her annoyed scowl matched Master Liu's.

"It's your test today," he said without preamble. "Let's hurry it up and get ready."

"Ugh, fine!" Lan yawned. "You mind getting out of here while I get dressed?"

Master Liu surveyed her for a moment. "Fine, but if you fall asleep again, I'm pouring a cup of cold water on your face." With that, he exited the room muttering something under his breath about teenagers these days before her closed the door behind him. Lan stretched out her arms and legs with a dramatic yawn, rolling out of bed.

Her room was small but comfortable with a large picture window commanding a magnificent view of the lake. A poster of the Yeongnam United football team hung on the wall, along with several mover posters. The shelves were filled with video games and Fire Nation graphic novels that she got into thanks to Akira.

Lan grabbed some new clothes from her dresser and exited her room humming 'Secret Tunnel' absentmindedly as she was met with the scent of dumplings, soup, and some noodle concoction wafting from the kitchen. "You up yet?" Master Liu's voice rang out over the clanging of pots.

"Yes, Master Liu," Lan answered innocently, entering the bathroom to take a shower.

Lan turned on the water as high as she could stand it and let the stream massage her shoulders. Not for the first time, the reality of the situation hit her like a charging komodo rhino. These were going to be the last days she spent in the valley. Things were peaceful and pleasant there all the time. Lan had grown accustomed to the monotony of the place. However, the fact remained that beyond those majestic cliffs was a world in turmoil under the control of a despot who was clearly not content with simply ruling every civilized nation on the planet.

Lan and Akira would soon have to leave the safety of their refuge and go to war against the Emperor's legions. Master Liu would have gone with them, but the White Lotus members and the Restoration sentries had to stay behind and protect the valley. However, Akira was more than prepared for the moment they would leave on their journey, wherever it would take them. That was something Lan would have to speak with Master Liu about, but she had to focus on passing the spirit's judgment first.

* * *

><p>Liu had just finished setting the table in the dining room when Lan had entered, smiling brightly. "Morning," she greeted and threw her arms around him with surprising strength for a girl more than a hundred pounds lighter than him, and leaned her head against his chest. Liu let out a short chuckle before returning the embrace and ruffling Lan's slightly damp hair. She then broke the embrace and plopped to the floor to grab her chopsticks from the side of her plate.<p>

"Excited, aren't you?" Liu observed, sitting across from her and filled a small bowl with steamed rice.

"Ib err a oive aru," said Lan, shoveling liberal amounts of noodles and chicken into her mouth.

"Hey," said Liu sternly, "don't talk with your mouth full."

She swallowed heavily. "I said it's best to have a positive attitude."

"So, you're okay?" Lan shrugged and took a sip of her tea. Liu knew his student better than that. She always put on an excited front before she faced challenges that made her nervous. However, Liu knew better than to press her about it. Even when Lan was little, she rarely showed that she was afraid or nervous.

"Nanuk will be here to pick us up soon," Liu announced, making Lan look up at her teacher with an expression that made her look as though she were suffering from a toothache.

"Can't we just walk?" she said through gritted teeth and Liu tried not to laugh.

"Absolutely not. The cave's a two-hour drive away and we need a motorcycle to get through the area." Lan harrumphed in annoyance and continued to eat. Nanuk, a Waterbending boy about Lan's age, had once been her boyfriend until a fortnight ago when she dumped him after finding out he had been using her all along to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. She was considered by many of the boys to be the prettiest girl in the valley, and while Lan had grown into a very beautiful young woman, this other girl would probably have made Asami Sato in her prime envious. By dumping Nanuk, that meant Lan launching giant boulders at him, and leaving him to hang upside down from side of the cliffs for half the day. When his ex-girlfriend found out, she punched him in the nose. She was not exactly a friend of Lan's, but she did have a lot of respect for her as the Avatar; not to mention that the reason she broke up with Nanuk to begin with was because he was just using her for his own sexual desires. Now a muscle twitched in Lan's face whenever she and Nanuk crossed paths.

"Well, he'll keep his fat mouth shut and his eyes away from me if he knows what's good for him!"

"Like you'll ever be able to hear him over that annoyingly loud motorcycle of his," Liu said, trying to ease the tension. It didn't work.

"I hate that lying, cheating son of a motherless hog monkey," she growled, and Liu knew that 'hate' was not a term she used lightly. The lecherous young Waterbender was probably the only person in the world that Lan hated who was not affiliated with the Empire.

"Dumplings?" Liu gestured to the basket. Lan looked at him appraisingly for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

"You always know how to make me feel better," Lan sighed, shaking her head.

"Been there and done that, kid." Liu tugged on a strand of her hair affectionately.

Her eyes widened in curiosity. "Tell me," she insisted.

"Well," Liu laughed dryly, "let's just say I've had my share of failed relationships. One of which was my fault when I was seventeen."

Lan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, what did you do?"

Liu sat there silently for a moment before grumbling, "I pulled a Mako as historians would say, even though he actually only did that once and was very faithful to Aunt Lai when they finaly got married."

Lan responded with an aggravated "Ugh!" and slapped her forehead. "Guys are such idiots when they're young! Let me guess, you and one girl met in college, majoring in the same thing and became friends, but after a while you started to have stronger feelings for each other, right, Master Liu?"

"Close," said Liu. "It wasn't college, it was in the Army. I met my wife – may she rest in peace – in my sophomore year of college and never so much as looked at another woman since."

Lan looked at him sympathetically. "What happened to your wife?"

This was not something Liu talked about too often. Grimacing, he answered, "Eun and I were on business in Agnishima, the Fire Nation capital. I was there to meet with the Minister of Foreign Relations and my wife was visiting Princess Yuki, a good friend of hers. Well, she was on her way back to the hotel on the Underground. There was a derailment…" His voice trailed as Lan edged closer to him and leaned into his shoulder. "She died instantly," Liu finished, running his fingers through her hair. "She was five months pregnant with our son."

"I'm sorry," Lan whispered sadly, fixing her hair. "That's horrible!"

Liu gave an incoherent sound in response. "Yeah, well… about eleven years ago during a blizzard, my friends and I happened to come across an adorable five-year-old girl in a small fishing village. She soon became the only girl I'll ever need in my life, and now she's grown into a strong, beautiful young woman." Lan smiled warmly, tucking her head under Liu's chin as he held her tightly to him and kissed the top of her head.

"Anyway," Liu continued, "in the Army I met this girl named Hua-Mei. We were in the Black Berets; this was the elite of the elite in the United Republic Forces. This was before Donghai took power. Anyway, this Hua-Mei and I shared a lot of mutual interests, we'd go out drinking when we had liberty, cause trouble for our commanding officers; we were friends for a while, and then we started developing feelings for each other. But then…"

"A new girl came along," Lan finished in a monotone. "She was gorgeous, had a similar background to yours…"

"We both had famous grandparents," Liu finished and helped himself to another serving of his noodle dish. "I had Bolin and Opal, she had Jinora and Kai."

Lan nearly choked on her rice and gaped at her teacher in shock. "_Damn_, you dated one of Aang's descendants and screwed up a relationship with her?"

He frowned at her, starting to feel annoyed. "I was only seventeen, and got in way over my head!" Liu breathed heavily to compose himself. "We were having lunch together; Priya was new and had not just Avatar Aang to live up to, but also those who came after him like I had with all my ancestors up to Toph. Well, I kissed her… it seemed right." Lan smirked at him and twirled her finger, indicating for him to continue. "Well, the thing was, I still had feelings for Hua-Mei too.

"Anyway, things got complicated when it was clear to Priya that I had more than friendly feelings for Hua-Mei. Yes, I even kissed her and didn't tell Priya, but my dear friend and platoon commander, Hiro Sato let it slip. Needless to say, Priya broke up with me and it could've ended there, but I was so distraught that I blamed it on Hua-Mei. She really let me have it."

"Wow," Lan replied. "I'd never think you'd get yourself into a mess like that. But at least you made peace with both girls, right?"

"Eventually," said Liu. "After I suffered the wrath of Priya's great uncle Meelo, that is. Let's just say, the way the he's portrayed in the TV serial about Korra from thirty years ago is underplayed, even as a kid. This guy… he threw me around the temple like a ragdoll with his Airbending fury. 'Make my little great-niece cry, asshole? I'll teach you to disgrace the Bei-Fong name!'" Lan roared with laughter and Liu could not help but join her. "I didn't truly know how he felt until after Nanuk did what he did to you. He got off easy by you hanging him off a cliff by his ankles. I was going to break every bone in his body."

Lan exhaled sharply. "Akira was going to make sure he could never have children, but no, he was mine and-" A roar of a motor and beep cut her off. "Can't he get a muffler for that thing?" she shouted. "Let's get this over with. If he so much as makes eye contact with me, I'll do what Akira originally planned."

* * *

><p>Master Goshiro's dojo was a wide room with candles set on the floor in a semi-circle around him. Hundreds of swords were displayed on the walls and on sword stands against the walls. The dojo always had a scent of incense.<p>

Akira always felt humbled entering his master's dojo. Goshiro was not like Liu Bei-Fong, who trained Lan like a drill instructor; he was very much a traditional master who clung to the ancient way of the sword that he learned decades ago. Then again, a Samurai was supposed to have radiated an air of one who was calm but strong. Liu Bei-Fong was, well, a Bei-Fong. When training under Master Goshiro, Akira felt as though he were in the presence of a wise, enlightened old guru, which he was technically.

The older man was tall and thin with a beard reaching his belly. Akira bowed to his teacher who motioned him to sit. "Well, Akira," he began in his frail voice, "the day has finally come for the Avatar to take the next step in her journey. As we speak, she is on her way to Dabo Gong's Cave to face his trials."

"Yes, Master," said Akira in barely above a whisper. He had been worrying about Lan all morning. Was she ready for it? Was she in tune with the earth enough to actually feel her way through the cave? Whom was he kidding, of course she was!

"Have you been following what's been going on?" Akira blinked at Master Goshiro's question.

"Yeah, I heard of the recent Restoration raid on an Imperial arms factory." These small strikes on the enemy were definitely morale boosters, but something told Akira that his master was not talking about anything good. Cautiously, he asked, "There was another purge, wasn't there?"

Master Goshiro shook his head and Akira felt relief wash over him. "The Empire is getting restless. From what our spies tell us, the Emperor is beginning to get paranoid about plots to overthrow him. The nations of the Allied Empire have been allowed a certain degree of autonomy, but we fear he's going to take more control over them soon. This will make travel difficult for us, and thus the time for the Avatar's departure will have to be sooner than we thought. That means you must leave with her."

"Master, uh, what exactly do you mean when you say 'take more control'?"

"We believe he's going to do something drastic to make an example of how insurrection won't be tolerated," Master Goshiro explained. "Therefore, it's vital that you and the Avatar depart for Omashu in no more than a few days."

Akira cocked his head in confusion. "Omashu?" he repeated. "Why there?"

"King Junseong may sell his oil and petrol to the Empire," said Master Goshiro, "but the vast funds his company receives; three quarters goes to funding the Restoration and all but less than a percent of the last quarter goes to running the country. You and the Avatar must meet with him, and then he will arrange for you to be transported to the Restoration where she will learn Firebending under the Crimson Dragon."

"Yes, Master," said Akira, bowing his head. The Crimson Dragon was the leader of the Restoration. He always kept his face hidden and only a very select few knew his actual name.

"Today, however, you are going to get a new sword. Tomorrow, when the Avatar comes of age, you will pledge it in her service in the name of the Firelord."

"But I have a sword, Master Goshiro," said Akira louder than he had intended. "This katana belonged to my father before the Empire took him. It was the last thing my mother left me before the White Lotus took me in. It's the last possession I have left of my family, Master!" He absentmindedly held on the sheath as he spoke and Master Goshiro looked at him sympathetically.

"Yes," he said after a moment's silence. "The sword at your side belonged to your father, but a Samurai's sword must be a staple of who he is. It cannot be passed down."

Akira gazed around the dojo at all the swords on the wall in doubt. "Will you give me one of yours?"

"No, son," said Master Goshiro. "A Samurai's sword must be a staple of the Samurai himself. Today, you will make your own katana."

"M – My own katana?"

"Yes," Master Goshiro confirmed and rose to his feet with incredible speed for a man so old. "Come with me, lad, we're going to find you the best minerals for your sword."

"Can I forge my own symbol in it, Master Goshiro?" Akira inquired.

"Yes, it's yours, you do with it what you will, but I insist on only the best materials for my former pupil's weapon." With that, he led Akira out of the dojo and into his car.

* * *

><p>Lan strode furiously over to the waiting motorcycle, taking a seat in the sidecar while Master Liu sat behind the jerk driving it. Nanuk was a tall boy around her age with brown hair styled in a stupid looking faux-hawk (that she hated even when they were dating) and blue eyes. "Well, hi there, baby cakes," he drawled, his eyes shifting to Lan's chest area.<p>

"Shut up and take us to the cave!" she snapped back at him. He had the nerve to call her that even when… Lan was determined to keep her gaze in front of her.

"As you wish, Ahvatar."

"Stop saying it like that!" Lan screeched, slamming her fist on the vehicle's side. "Just don't talk to me, okay?" Nanuk laughed in such an annoying manner that it took all of Lan's strength not to launch a jagged boulder into his stupid face.

"Touchy today, aren't we, babes?"

"Go fu-" She was cut off by Master Liu smacking Nanuk in the back of the head.

"Knock it off and let's get moving!" Nanuk shrugged and the motorcycle sped off.

The residents of the Vale of the Fallen Star lived in a village of small houses and buildings used for other purposes. However, it was more of a settlement than a village. All food was grown or hunted. There were barely any families living there; children generally lived under the care of their teachers or guardians. A village of families and small businesses would attract the attention of the enemy, and not even the defenses above the cliffs could hold off a large enough Imperial assault.

A dense jungle rigged with landmines and other deadly booby-traps protected the valley. Trained snipers hid in the trees while machine gunners, riflemen, and benders lay in wait in the undergrowth. Somewhere in the jungle was also anti-aircraft weaponry ready to take down enemies from above.

The three of them rode quietly, the roar of the engine being the only sound to break the silence as they made their way to the cave. That was when Lan began to wonder, "Master Liu?" He turned to her. "What's so important about this cave? Like… why do us Earthbender Avatars have to go through it?"

Master Liu's brow furrowed in thought for a moment. "Well, all I know is that the spirit within the cave has been there for thousands of years."

"Oh," Nanuk cut in with a creepy grin, "so you want to know about Dabo Gong's Cave, do you, babes?"

"Did I ask you?" Lan responded coldly. "Wait, Dabo Gong? Is that the spirit's name?"

"Yup," said Nanuk, his strange grin broadening. "A long time ago, in time of the fourth Avatar, Kihan, the world was plagued with war. The Dark Lord of the Shadowbending Clan was trying to enslave the spirits remaining on Earth and use their powers to achieve his ends."

"But how did he discover or invent Shadowbending?" Lan demanded hastily, earning a patronizing stare from the Waterbender.

"Nobody alive today or in the past over nine thousand years knows, baby cakes, you should know that."

"Call me that again," Lan said through gritted teeth and grasped his sleeve. "Call me that again, and I'll gouge out your eyeballs and-"

"Skull-fuck me?" he finished. "Being a girl, you lack the ability to do that – _ow!_" Master Liu smacked him in the back of the head again.

"What kind of way is that to talk in front of a woman, boy?" he growled, glaring at the back of his head in disgust. "It's not enough for you to rip out Lan's heart, you also have balls to call her these nicknames and speak to her in this manner?"

"You'd know, Bei-Fong," he shot back with a smirk. "You're quite the profanity poet when doing maintenance; not to mention word is that you broke a lot of hearts back in the day, slick."

White-hot anger coursed through Lan's body. How _dare_ he speak to Master Liu that way? She immediately launched a right hook at Nanuk's shoulder. "What're you, cra-"

"Shut up!" Lan interrupted, her body trembling. "Don't you _ever_ speak to my da... uh, teacher that way! You will call him 'Master Liu' or 'sir' when addressing him! You'll show him the proper respect or I'll teach it to you! Master Liu has more honor and integrity in his smallest toe than you do in your whole body!"

"Anyway," Nanuk drawled as Lan muttered a few choice words under her breath. "Kihan was discovered as the Avatar and taken into hiding much like you were. Eventually, he had to go off on his own and found himself in our pleasant little valley. While hiding from the Dark Lord, he found himself inside the cave.

"The cave was dark, so he used what little he knew of his Firebending in order to see. Then he hears this disembodied voice," Nanuk screwed up his face into a menacing glare and raised his voice, speaking with a strange accent. "'Who enters my domain?'" Lan involuntarily clenched the armrests of her seat. "Kihan looked around, but saw nothing. When he didn't answer, the voice thundered, 'Speak, human!' and there was a rumbling of rock from behind Kihan. Before he knew what was happening, the entrance to the cave was blocked. It was only rocks, he could easily have gotten out, but he couldn't think clearly.

"He meekly answered, 'M – My name is Kihan. I'm the Avatar.' The cave rumbled once again.

"'The Avatar... And one of the Earth Peoples, no less? If you are who you say you are, you will do exactly as I say!'

"Kihan answered, 'Anything!' The voice told him to put out his fire. If he were really the Avatar, he'd be spiritual enough to feel his way through the cave. He was naturally terrified, but could not disobey. He knew that whoever this was, he could see his every move. He extinguished his fire.

"'Now, Kihan, you will make your way to me!You will rely _only_ on your Earthbending to find me; with a strong enough connection to the earth, you should be able to feel your way through my cave!'

"Gulping, young Kihan made his way through the first tunnel like a blind man feeling the damp walls." He snickered as he turned to Lan whose face was drenched in cold sweat. "Caves are extremely unforgiving places even under normal circumstances. Forget Aang and his friends spelunking through the Cave of Two Lovers, the worst thing they had to deal with was adolescent hormones and annoying stoners who wouldn't shut up. No, in most other caves, you have tunnels, tight crawl spaces, pits, and lakes… one misstep and you're dead. That's when you're with a group, with adequate lighting, and safety equipment. Just imagine going into one alone, unprotected, and inhabited by a pissed off spir-"

"Could you just continue with the story please?" Lan interrupted; her voice higher than usual.

Nanuk chuckled mockingly, earning another strike in the back of the head from Master Liu. "Anyway, Kihan's instincts kicked in and he managed to feel his way to the first pit. With his Earthbending, he created a slide that he took to go further into the depths. Well, after crawling through tunnels, swimming through lakes, and so forth, he eventually came to a shrine of sorts. That is where he met Dabo Gong, the Spirit of Earth." He stopped short as if waiting for questions.

"Well?" Lan pressed.

Nanuk simply shrugged. "Nobody knows," he said in a tone of one telling a horror story. "But when Kihan emerged, he was a changed man; more serious… enlightened even. Dabo Gong insisted of Raava that she bring all Earthbender Avatars to him in order to face his judgment. Soon affter emerging from the cave, Kihan managed to defeat the Dark Lord, and nobody heard of Shadowbenders again until Shang appeared."

Nanuk slowly turned his eyes to Lan again. "Not all Earthbender Avatars succeeded, though. According to legend, Avatar Fei ventured into the cave." He paused to laugh. "This guy was an arrogant asshole-"

"Takes one to know one, doesn't it?" said Lan venomously, glaring daggers at him.

"Whatever," said Nanuk dismissively. "Anyway, this was a guy who'd go up against a sabre-tooth mooselion with his bare hands. So, this idiot enters the cave, disrespects Dabo Gong, and tries cheating by creating a tunnel to go all the way down to the shrine. Well, nobody knows what exactly happened. Some say Dabo Gong trapped him in the walls. Others say he injured himself and died. All we know is that a Firebender Avatar was born three days later. Who knows, babes? We'll just have to see how he judges you today." He finished with a ghostly whistling, and Master Liu struck him again.

"Shut the fuck up!" he barked and Lan whimpered.

They drove on for a while until they finally arrived in front of the face of the five hundred foot cliff. An opening in the face led into a narrow, dimly lit path. This was where Nanuk parked the motorcycle. With trepidation, Lan exited the sidecar and Master Liu approached her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Let's do this."

"See you around," Nanuk drawled with an unnerving grin, "Ahvatar." With that, he sped off laughing maniacally, leaving the two Earthbenders glowering at his back.

"You want him to have a little accident, kiddo?" Master Liu asked as he put his powerful arm around her shoulders. "Another broken nose would do him wonders."

Lan sighed heavily in response. "No, let's just get this over with." They began walking into the narrow path and it was only then that Lan had realized the deathly silence around them. There were no birds chirping; the air was stagnant and heavy. The sounds of their footsteps on the hard, gravel ground and Lan's own breathing somehow seemed magnified in the silence.

After a few minutes of walking, Lan and Master Liu came to a large crevice in the cliffs. It was not pitched black, but Lan did not fail to notice how the sun did not light this area up. Casting her eyes downward, she finally saw it; the black pit that would take her to her destination. She approached it slowly, as if in a trance and gazed into the chasm below.

_**Who enters my domain?**_ Lan's heart skipped a beat. Nanuk was not lying, she thought as she tried catching her breath. She had felt the voice, not heard it. It was as if the spirit's deep voice was speaking into her very soul.

No, she could not show fear. She had to show strength and humility. "My name is Lan Ming Yi, good Spirit," she said. "I'm the Avatar here to face your judgment."

_**You are not here to be judged, child, that is up to the universe to decide after you have passed on to our world! My purpose for millennia beyond your reckoning was to test the Avatars of Earthbending origin to see how much they have grown spiritually!**_

"But why only Earthbenders, good Spirit?" Lan replied, finally hoping to get some answers. "And I can honestly say I'm a grown woman."

The voice thundered into her thoughts once again: _**It is not enough for you to have grown in body, Avatar! You must prove that you have grown in wisdom and in spirit! Earth is the element of substance and endurance, but also of growth! The trials ahead will determine your connection to the earth and subsequently, your growth as a person! Are you prepared, Avatar? **_

Lan breathed deeply. "I am." The ground beneath her feet rumbled as a platform shot out over the pit.

_**Proceed, young one! Your master may accompany you, but he may not do anything except prevent you from injuring yourself! It is up to you and you alone to navigate your way through the cave! **_Lan nodded meekly as she and Master Liu made their way onto the platform hovering over the side of the hole. Without warning, the large slab of rock shuddered and began its swift descent into the darkness below.

A/N: And we're gonna stop here for now. The chapter's getting too long and I really want the cave itself to have its own chapter.


End file.
